My Secrets
by Beccky
Summary: "I can tell Eli is on to me, I'm running out of excuses..." Clare's being abused, but she's lying to her boyfriend and best friend about it. Eli and Adam make a to get her to tell the truth; catch her in a lie. What they don't know is that she's being hurt worse than the bruises they saw. She lies to stay safe, but her secret may eventually lead to her death. R&R:) Trig.Warn:ABUSE!
1. My Secret

I'm alone.

I'm completely alone, inside a world full of people. (A/N: I know I use this sentence twice in the chapter, but it fits for both characters.)

I want to scream at the top of my lungs, but I'm terrified nobody will hear me.

My heart is beating, aching, throbbing inside my chest. I can hardly pass a breath through my weak lungs. It's dark, so terribly dark. I can't hear anything besides my own ragged breathing. I'm alive, but at the same time I'm not. Will he find me? Please, dear God, Please just let me be for one night. I'm so sick of hiding in this wretched closet. I'm so sick of being scared. He's angry and I'm alone with him, of course Mom and Jake aren't home. I don't know where mom is… but Jake is at Katie's. Then I hear him. All I know is that the monster my mother married is angry tonight. So angry, I can feel the vibrations of his anger through the walls. Why did he have to take it out on me? I did nothing wrong. He's close. I can hear his thundering footsteps nearing my room. I clasp my hands over my mouth, afraid to breath. I only take about five shaky breaths before he realizes where I am. The door squeaks open, and I know he's here. I know he's found me.

"Clare! Get your ass out here!" The man I've come to hate most barks. I squeeze my eyes shut in fear, and pray he doesn't go for the closet. This isn't a fairytale, though. My prayers weren't answered. I keep my eyes shut and brace myself for what's going to come. I'm not scared of the pain; I'm used to it now. I'm scared of lying to Eli. Again.

He's seen some of the bruises scattered on my arms, but I brush it off. I say they're from P.E, I fell, I slipped in the shower, anything that pops into my head. Lies, lies, lies. I can tell Eli is on to me, I'm running out of excuses. Running out of lies to weave into my web of deceit. My heart aches terribly. I hate having to lie when I want so badly to tell the truth, but I can't break his steadily growing progress in recovering; from his bipolarism, the hoarding, Julia. He can't know. I won't make him worry about this problem, worry about me.

He would be angry I waited this long to say something, and he'd do something drastic. Eli would quickly diminish everything he's done to get better if he found out what's been happening to me. If he found out I've been lying to him. I know I won't be able to lie this time, because I know I'm going to get it worse than ever. I didn't have to hear the front door being slammed open tonight to know he was in one of his foulest moods. It wasn't the noise that followed after his entrance, it was the cold silence before it. I'm broken out of my thoughts as the footsteps stop in front of my hiding spot. The closet door suddenly opens, and I'm face to face with the Devil. His lips curl into a wicked smile, much like the Cheshire Cat.

"Clare, Clare, Clare." He tuts, staring at me. He kneels down in front of me, still smirking. "Aren't you a little too old to be playing hide and seek? Time to be a big girl and face the consequences."

Before I could protest, he yanked me up by the arm, and tossed me back down to the ground. I smack my head against my desk on the way down, and I cry out as my head stings with agonizing pain. The monster called Glen merely laughs at this, and I feel a kick to my ribs. Then another. And another. I feel white-hot pain run up and down my body, and I scream but nothing comes out.

"Please…" I begged, barely above a whisper, blood from the cut on my head dripping into my mouth.

"_Pleeease_", Glen mocked, before grabbing me up by the hair, and knocking me into my dresser. My head hits wood again, and had it not been for the higher tolerance for pain I've had lately, I would've passed out by now. I stay bent over the dresser, too scared and too hurt to move. He comes behind me, and I feel my heart stop as he glides his hand up my thigh.

"No… don't" I pleaded, tears falling freely down my throbbing face. His hand stops right under my butt, and I shudder, out of fear and revulsion.

"Okay," he says nonchalantly, as if molesting and beating your stepdaughter was a normal thing.

"You're too fat anyway. How you have a boyfriend, I don't know…"

Before I can react to his painful words, he twists my arm back with such force, I feel something crack. I cry out in pain, and he slams my face back into the desk. My nose starts to blaze with fiery pain. I feel more blood gush out of my nose, and hear his disgusted sigh. I hear him and the faint sound of my text ringtone, right before I black out into a blissful escape from my own personal hell.

"I don't know why anyone would ever keep you. Worthless." When he knocks me out, it's the few times I'm truly happy, when I'm not with Eli. Being unconscious keeps me safe, and pain-free. I don't have to see his face, hear his voice, or feel his fists. I don't have to hear the reasons he hates me, and I don't have be conscious, conscious with the fact I hate myself.

(ELI POV)

I'm sitting next to Adam, while we're watching Bates Motel. (A/N: Love love LOVE that show!) It's been a routine thing for us; go to school, meet up after school with Clare, and hang out at my place. The three Misfits. I feel so lucky knowing I have the most amazing and breathtakingly beautiful girlfriend, and the most kickass best friend. It's just so bizarre and comforting to realize how far I've come. I used to think that I'd never have this; a somewhat normal life. I used to think that I was destined to be miserable, misunderstood, and alone. After things had taken a downward spiral for the worst, my life suddenly stitched itself back together and reconnected the pieces. Thanks to Clare, to Adam. Sure, I still miss Julia, but the hole in my heart seals itself slowly, one day at a time. Clare helped ease the pain inside me immensely.

You see, Julia didn't break up with me; she died. Because of me. I killed her. Not directly of course, i'm not a maniac for christ's sake. We got into an argument, a lover's spat, if you will. Julia, the ever so beautiful Julia, cheated on me. I don't know, I guess I had too many problems that she didn't want to deal with. I guess I was just a big problem. I loved her, but in a different way than I love Clare. The love I felt for Julia was mainly lust, mixed with understanding. We understood each other. It was like she was a female version of me. We were both incredibly fucked up, in different ways. She was the girl who cut herself because nobody in her family bothered to take care of her, nobody loved her, nobody understood her. But I did. I knew exactly how she felt. I knew how it felt to feel so alone in a world of people, except my parents loved me.

I was the fucked up kid who was bipolar, misunderstood, and depressed. My depression went away when I met Jules, though. My parents, Cece and Bullfrog, were at least glad one factor of my self-destruction went away. They practically pushed me and her together. When Julia was having problems with her stepmother, she came to me. My parents took her in without a second thought, and that's what caused the downfall of Juleli. Haha, Julia had put our names together because she thought it had sounded cute. I guess our new-found closeness caused her to become further apart from me. I don't know, maybe I was too clingy, maybe I didn't give her enough space. Shit, maybe she woke up one day and realized she could do better than a fuck-up like me.

I don't know, though. I'll never know. The night I found out she cheated on me, I lost it. I screamed at her, I called her every insult I could think of. I cried and told her how much she hurt me, how much she broke my heart doing what she did. The last thing I ever said to her was that I never wanted to see her again. That I hated her. That night was the last night I'd ever see her. She took off on her bike, I don't know where she was going, and a car hit her. When I found out, all I could do was blame myself. I wasn't allowed to see her in the hospital, and I hadn't been allowed to go to her funeral. I had my own ceremony for her in secret, with Adam. I sat down before her grave and begged for forgiveness that would never come. When she died, a piece of me died with her. I was lost inside myself, inside my depression, until Clare.

Clare numbed the pain, eased it until she eventually made it disappear completely. When my room became cluttered, piled high with painful memories, Clare helped me clear my mind, my heart and my room. I still have a few things lingering in my room that remind me of Julia, but I no longer feel the guilt or sadness. I just remember the happiness. When Clare saved me from myself, I vowed to protect her, to never leave her side. This girl meant the world to me, she was everything Julia wasn't. She was pure, full of kindness, understanding, and full of love. I love her. I Love Clare Edwards. Lately, though, I feel as if Clare is hiding something from me.

No, I don't think she's cheating on me, especially since it's happened to her. I started sensing something was up when I first saw the bruises. She wouldn't realize her sleeves were pulled up when it was hot, and I saw the ugly colored bruises that marred her arms. She always had excuse after excuse though. Sometimes she'd slip up and say the same excuse. Nobody slips, falls, or trips that much. Not even a klutz like Clare. Something was happening, but I couldn't place my finger on what. Adam felt the same way too, but he was just as clueless as I was.

"Clare," he would ask, "Is everything alright?" She would turn pale, and blink at him before quickly nodding her head.

"Of course everything is, Adam! Why on earth would you think that?" There would always be a hint of sadness in her voice, but we didn't ask why. We were stupid.

"I don't know," he'd say, frowning at her. "It's just, you always have these bruises on your arms or on your leg that one time," his voice would increase in worry, and Clare would brush it off with a shaky laugh.

"Oh, Adam don't be such a worrywart." She'd let out a fake laugh, as if she felt like it was convincing us. "You know me, Klutzilla. Clare the Klutz!" Of course she'd say this jokingly, but she didn't know we saw the pain in her eyes. That we knew that every word out of her mouth was a lie.

I would eventually ask her, "You'd tell us if something was wrong, right, Blue Eyes?" I would stare into her baby blues, and see them flicker with fear.

Every time she would respond, "Of course I would, Eli! You know I tell you everything!" A fake smile would plaster itself on her face, and she'd quickly change the subject. We were stupid then, especially me, the boy who was supposed to know everything about her. I guess I didn't. I just wish she didn't feel like she had to lie to me. We started realizing that she was lying, when she'd come back the next day with bruises even worse, when we saw them. I want so badly to help her, but I can't. I can't help her when I don't know what's wrong with her. I guess I must've been lost in thought for quite a while, because Adam's voice snapped me back to reality.

"Yo. Earth to Eli!" Adam's somewhat feminine voice rang in my ears. I turned to him, and he was looking at me expectantly.

"Uh, hi?" I tried, not willing to bother trying to figure out what he had said while I was off in La-La Land.

Adam rolled his eyes and sighed, giving me a quick glare. "What were you so deep in thought about? Were you imagining marrying C-la-aaare?" he sang the last part of her name, and his shrill voice grated my ears, so I swatted at him.

"No, I was thinking about what Clare could possibly be lying about to us," I said, and slight frustration slowly came to me.

Adam noticed me tense up, and he became instantly serious. "What do you mean, lying to us?"

I glared at him in frustration, and rolled my eyes back at him. "I want to know why she;s lying about how she gets those bruises? Y'know, the ones we see?" I let out a heavy sigh, and fiddle with the skull ring on my pointer finger.

"I don't know, Eli, dude. Maybe she gets into play-fights with Jake, I—"

I cut him off, giving him a death glare. "Jake wouldn't give her those kinds of bruises. Plus, it'd be kinda weird of them to do that; they dated."

Adam groaned, knowing we were back to square one in the Clare Edwards Mystery. He let his head fall on the back of the couch, and stared at the ceiling.

"Maybe she plays a sport?" He asked almost hopefully.

Shaking my head, I shut the movie off. No matter what, I couldn't think of a valid reason as to why Clare was so banged up.

"She doesn't play sports. She doesn't have time for them because of the Newspaper."

"Maybe she's taking a self –defense class?"

"That still wouldn't leave bruises like that."

He scratched his head, and furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Maybe then, Eli, what she's saying is actually the truth?"

I felt a sudden anger boil up inside me, almost escaping. Almost. I pushed it back down.

"Adam. She's not telling the truth!" I rubbed the heels of my palms over my eyes, exasperatedly. "God, haven't you been watching her? I don't even have to hear her to know she's lying. I see it now."

He kicked the coffee table in front of him, letting out an angry yell. Then he started breathing, forcing himself to stay calm, like I did.

"Then what the hell should we do, Eli? How would we get her to tell us what's really going on?" He almost pleaded with me, he was as desperate as I was to know why Clare was secretly in pain. Why she kept her pain and suffering a secret from us.

I pulled out my phone, and looked at it with intent. Then I stared at Adam. "I'm going to tell her to come over because we need to talk, and we're going to catch her in a lie." He raised a brow at me, seemingly impressed with my sly skills.

With that, I unlocked my phone and started writing a new message to her.

_Clare, _I wrote,_ We need to talk. It's nothing bad, just come over as soon as you can._

_Love, Eli_

Little did I know, that my message would arrive too late for her to see. Little did I know just how badly My Clare was suffering, and I had no clue as why. God, I was a fucking idiot.

**Yay! Chapter One of my new story done! I wrote this because it was extremely helpful to me, since I recently got out of a really toxic and abusive relationship and all. Hope to get the next chapter up within the next week, but you know, College stuffs! Let me know what you guys think! **

**~~~~Beccky**


	2. Caught!

**CLARE**

I woke up to the sweet sound of silence, and the metallic smell of blood. My blood. Weakly, I reached up to touch my face, and found it covered in the scarlet-red substance I came to know so well. Wooziness took over me, but it wasn't from seeing my own blood, it was the fact that I'd lost so much. Looking around, I saw that my room had been become a disaster zone. Geez, Glen really did a number on both me and this stupid room that was supposed to keep me safe. Not anymore. I forced myself to lean on my elbows so I could find my phone in this catastrophe. I'm almost two-hundred percent sure that Eli and Adam realized something was wrong, when I didn't show up to Eli's house without telling him why. I was just so tired from finishing the report I was working on for our school newspaper. All I wanted to do was lie down and catch up on some much needed sleep. But, of course, my plans never go the way I expect them. Instead of falling into a manual slumber, I was forced into one by the uncontrollable wrath that was my stepfather. I see my phone's rhinestone case glittering on the floor a couple inches away. It seems to be the only thing that wasn't swallowed up in the tornado of violence. Reaching for it, I press down on the button until it turns back on. Glen must've turned it off. Whatever. Not even a full minute of it being on, my phone exploded with messages, missed calls, and voicemails. Scrolling through the texts, I saw that I had four from Eli, four from Adam, and three from…Drew? Weird. Well, I guess it isn't so weird. We _had _gotten closer since I spend a lot of time with my best friend who happens to be his brother. Sighing heavily, I start to read the barrage of messages.

_Eli: Hey Blue-Eyes, finished with your report yet?_

_Adam: Yo, Clare! Eli and I are waiting for you! We wanna start watching Bates Motel, so hurry up! :P_

_Eli: Clare, it's almost six-thirty! You told me you'd call me when you were finished at four! Where are you?_

_Adam: Claaaaare, Eli is starting to get kinda antsy! I think he might send out a search squad soon. It's seven! What report takes that long dude!_

_Adam: Okay, if you're still out there, maybe you can pick your best friend up a Caramel Frappucino….With extra whipped cream? Pay you back!_

_Eli: Clare, I'm really starting to get worried! I made Drew ask Katie when you left and she said you left right at four! Where are you, I've called you five times already! Why is your phone off?_

_Adam: Um, Clare, could you please turn your phone back on? You're really freaking us out! You could've just called us if you don't wanna hang but call me and Eli back!_

_Drew: Uhh, hey Clare. I know we don't really talk but um Adam and Eli are going nuts and they told me to call Katie and ask where you are. Any reason you aren't talking to them? _

_Drew: Um, it's eight already, and I guess you were supposed to be here four hours ago. Soo, what did Eli do this time to piss you off? Want me to kick his ass?_

_Eli: Clare, We need to talk. It's nothing bad, just come over as soon as you can._

_Love, Eli_

_Drew: OK. You haven't answered my, Adam or Eli's calls or texts. It's already nine. We're coming to your house. You got some explaining to do, lady._

My face drained itself of blood when I read the last text. They…they were coming over here? No! They couldn't! I glanced at the time, and saw it was 9:13. Shit! I ran to the bathroom and threw myself into the shower. I didn't care how much pain it caused, but they could _not _see me like this. I turned on the water until it was border-line unbearable, and watched scarlet fade into pink and swirl down the drain. I looked down at my body and in my peripheral, saw the large angry bruises that marred my ribs. No. No. this wouldn't do. I reached for my phone on the counter, and began typing a group-text to Adam, Drew, and Eli.

_Me: Leave me alone._

Almost immediately, my phone starting playing "Hot'nCold" by Katy Perry, and I knew it was an incoming call. I answered it without looking. "I told you to leave me alone." I expected to hear Eli's frantic voice at the end of the line, but I heard Adams.

"Look, Clare. We're outside. I don't know why you were ignoring us, but you nearly gave us all a heart attack. I know where your spare key is, so if you don't come down and let us in, we'll open the door ourselves." Adam's voice was stern and serious, and it nearly scared me how serious he sounded.

"O-ok. Um, let me just finish my shower first though. I'll be down in ten minutes." My voice came out shaky, because I knew I had to hurry to put on cover up or I'd be found out.

Without asnswering me, Adam ended the call, and I gulped. I guess he was really pissed, and it was rare for him to be like that. I really messed up this time. I quickly climbed out of the shower, and wrapped a bathrobe around my body. I tugged on some sweatpants underneath, and began to hastily apply cover-up to my face. My hair hung limply in wet curls around my face, but I didn't care. I made sure to apply cover up to my arms, before rolling the sleeves back down. Hearing a loud knock resounding throughout the house, I knew my ten minutes was up.

Hurrying, I bounded down the steps as fast as my weak legs could carry me, and threw open the door. I guess the fear of Adam and Eli finding out gave me this weird adrenaline rush. On the porch before me stood Adam, Eli and Drew. Adam had his arms crossed and a frown on his face, Eli looked like he already was having a heart attack, and drew looked confused. Before I could object, Adam forced his way into my house, followed by Eli and Drew. He sat down on the sofa in my living room, and the other boys followed him. Eli and Adam nodded at each other, as if there was some secret between them. Who was I to judge, though? I was keeping a secret from them too.

"Clare," Eli began, "Why didn't you come to my house today? You said you wanted to watch Bates Motel with us."

"Yeah, Clare." Adam agreed, his blue eyes piercing mine. "You could've just called us if you wanted to change plans. Why didn't you call?"

I fumbled with the ribbon on my robe nervously, refusing to meet their eyes. I couldn't tell them, I couldn't. What would they think of me, lying to them like that? I start chewing my bottom lip, unsure of how to answer. Looking anywhere but at them, I answered them softly.

"I…I just didn't want to hang out. I'm tired, you know. That newspaper takes a lot of time and effort and it just took all the energy out of me, I'm sorry."

Adam didn't look away from me, his eyes bore into mine as if he knew I was lying. Inwardly, I started to panic. Did they know? Well, did Adam? I was afraid of what to say next in case they did know.

"Clare." Adam said sharply, causing me to look at him warily, as he's never been this stern before. "Why are you lying? I know you, and I know when you're lying. You're lying right now. Why?" Adam crossed his arms, and waited for my answer.

I stared at my hands for the longest time, before swallowing the truth along with my fear. I had to lie. It wasn't just to protect me. It was to protect my mom from having her heart broken from finding out she married a monster. It was to protect Jake from realizing that the man who raised him wasn't really a man at all, nothing but a liar and a coward. It was to protect Adam from getting into trouble by trying to help me, and it was to protect Eli. It was to protect him, so he wouldn't go off the deep end and do something insane as a reaction. And so he wouldn't hate me for lying to him for so long. I raised my head to look at Adam, dead on. Then I opened my mouth to lie about the very thing that could kill me. To protect everyone else.

"I'm not lying, Adam. I'm just stressed. Like, really, really stressed. This newspaper is a lot of work and it's pretty draining. But it's worth it. I'm just tired." At my last words, I felt my voice waiver, and I knew I was caught.

"That's not it. Clare. How do you explain those bruises? Are you _so _tired that you fall down twenty-four-seven? Not even you are that clumsy, Clare." Eli finally spoke up, and his eyes were bright with anger. "How did you get those bruises? I want to know the truth."

I felt tears starting to prickle their way into the corner of my eyes, and I blinked hard to shoo them away. Sniffling, I absentmindedly wiped my wet face. I didn't realize what I had done until I saw that all three boys were staring at me, completely frozen. Shit. I mustve wiped off the cover up. Now they've seen the bruise on my face, I'm sure. Eli got up from his seat, his fists clenched, knuckles white with rage.

"Clare," He yelled, "what the _hell _is that? And don't you dare lie to me." His green eyes burned with pure anger, and I instinctively backed away from him. I shrank away in fear, until I was pressed up against the wall. Eli scoffed, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Adam tried to calm him down, once he saw how scared I was, but Eli was relentless. He wanted answers.

"Are you seriously afraid that I'm going to hit you, Clare? For gods sake, I'm your boyfriend! Is that where you got the bruises from? Is someone hitting you?" I buried my face in my hands and sobbed, as he fired question after question at me. My steely resolve, my self-control in not telling him the truth, broke. I snapped apart again, and became weak. _Are you afraid I'm going to hit you? _Those were the first words Glen had said to me when he showed me the real side of him. He made me trust him, and then he hurt me. I should know deep down in my heart, after all we'd been through, Eli would never hurt me. I wasn't so sure anymore. Seeing him so angry like this, it brought me back to Glen standing over me, fist raised, ready to strike. I felt the tears spill down my face, washing away the make up. Washing away the lies. He stopped ranting when I looked up at him, revealing every lie etched on my face. His face twisted into shock, then sadness, then back to anger. Adam and Drew just stared open-mouthed with shock at me.

"How long." Eli said, and he wasn't asking. He was demanding. I trembled with fear at the scary change in his voice, and gulped.

"How long have you been lying to me, Clare? To us?" He reached out to hold my bad arm as I was about to fall forward, and for a moment he stopped being angry when I cried out in pain. Adam ran up to my side and smoothed my hair, as he pulled up the sleeve of my dislocated arm. Angry purple bruises, and dark blue swelled along my arm. There was a bright red scratch from when my arm scraped along the edge of my dresser. At least they weren't going to see my sides. Those were the most, and horrifyingly disgusting secrets I kept from them. They hurt the worst.

"Clare," Adam gasped, unsure of what to say.

Eli looked down into my eyes, unnaturally calm now.

"So I guess you've been lying for a while now, huh?" Again, it wasn't a question. It was a statement. I gulped, unable to answer. I just nodded my head, defeated.

Eli just glared at me, and I felt my heart break inside.

"Are you going to tell me who did this to you?" He said between clenched teeth, trying hard to control his anger.

I shook my head, even though I wanted so badly to tell him, but I knew I couldn't. He wouldn't believe me.

"Fine. Until you're ready to tell me the truth; I don't want to see you, I don't want to hear you, hell, I don't even want to look at you." (A/N: LOVED the way Ian Somerhalder delivered that line in The Vampire Diaries to Elena.)

I felt more tears spill down my face, as Eli away from me, and possibly out of my life. I knew that Eli would be mad, but I never thought he'd abandon me. I thought he'd fight harder to figure out what was going on, but I guess he didn't care. That hurt more than anything. It hurt more than my swollen arm, and bruised ribs. It hurt more than anything I'd ever felt in my life. I guess I should be used to being completely alone; I already was, even though I was surrounded by friends. Why did protecting someone have to hurt so much?

"Y-you're br-breaking up with m-me?" I barely choked out, unable to hold back anymore tears. I felt everything inside me break into a million pieces, yet I was still standing. He turned back around, and stared at me, and for a moment his face softened. "I can't be with someone who lies. No matter how much I love you, I can't be hurt again. You're being hurt, and I don't know why. It's killing me that you won't tell me, but I can't be with someone who's basically killing themselves by not telling the truth. I can't. I already lost Julia. I can't lose you." Before I could protest; he shut the door behind him, and left me to collapse on the floor and wallow in my misery. I let the tears fall freely now, and didn't care when they splashed from my face to the ground. I didn't care anymore. But this is what I wanted, right? I was protecting Eli by pushing him away. He wouldn't get hurt if he didn't know the hell I dealt with. Ignorance is bliss, they say. I felt an arm wrap around me, and I looked up to see Adam. Drew was behind him, looking unsure as to what do. Adam sat down on the ground next to me, and rubbed my back. He was trying to comfort me even though he knew I had been lying to him. Big time. Adam Torres was a saint, and I don't know what I would do if I didn't have him around.

"I know you don't want to tell anybody who's doing this to you, but can you _please please _tell me? All I want to do is to keep you safe, Clare-bear." I gave him a slight, wobbly smile at the nickname, but I shook my head. It was hard not telling him the truth, when he's opened up to me about everything in his life. But I had to protect him. I know for a fact that if I told him the truth, he'd tell Audra, who'd contact the police, and everything would go to hell. Of course, he'd also tell Eli, and knowing how Eli is, he'd go crazy. I couldn't let everyone else fall apart just because I was. Had.

"I can't Adam…not because I don't want to, but because I want to keep you safe. I'm doing this to protect you. You have to understand." Sniffling, I propped my head on my knees and stared at the wood floor beneath me.

"So, what you're saying is that in order to keep Adam safe from God-Knows-Who, you're taking a beating? Come on, Clare, you're smarter than this!" Drew finally spoke up, and there was a desperation to understand, a desperation to understand what was going through my mind. I glanced up at him, and his brow was furrowed in confusion, and his mouth was twisted into a frown.

Adam turned and gestured at him to shut up, and he did. I just shook my head and was ready to get to my feet, when I heard a car door slam. Hard. He was back, and he was probably drunk, and angry. I never know, because he's angry when he's sober, and when he's not. That's just as scary.

"Oh, no…" I whispered to myself, but it was loud enough for Adam and Drew to hear. Adam immediately became alert, and held me to him. "What is it, Clare? What's going on?" I felt myself beginning to hyperventilate, and I could barely get the words out as I shouted at him.

"No. No, no! You have to get out of here! He can't see you, Adam! Go home! Please," I begged, urging them to just get out. To be safe. They couldn't be here when Glen was, they would find out my secret, and worst of all Glen would hurt them.

Drew barely let me get another word out, as he yanked Adam and me up. He started tugging us towards the back door as he said, "That's it, Clare. You're coming home with us. If whoever's hurting you is here, we won't let you stay here to get hurt again." Adam nodded fervently in agreement, and I was tugged outside to Drew's car. They nearly tossed me in the backseat as they rushed to get in the car. As Drew started the car, and began to turn the corner to the front of my house. Both boys froze. I saw them realize that the car door that slammed belonged to Glen. My stepfather, my nightmare. I saw by the look of shock, anger and understanding on their face, that they discovered my secret; I was found out. Drew drove with his knuckles clenched around the wheel, and when we pulled up in front of his house, both Torres brothers turned around to gape at me. With concern and shock, of course. No anger was in their voice as they asked me in unison the question I expected them to ask.

"Glen? _Glen's _the one that's been hurting you?" Adam reached back to take my hand in his, and I saw that the scenario of Glen beating me flashed through his mind.

"Yes," I said softly, barely above a whisper. "Glen's the one who's been doing this to me."

I could only hope that telling the truth, no matter how good it felt, wouldn't come back to bite me in the ass. I could only hope that sharing my secret was a good thing. Somehow, I felt that this could only turn for the worse.

**Yay! Another chapter done! And it's longer this time! :) And a response to xxWinterBeautyxx's review, I don't plan on adding any older characters right now, but in later chapters I might add Jay and Spinner. So, tell me what you guys think! Should Drew and maybe Owen and Dallas go beat up the scum of a man that's Glen? Maybe, maybe not. We'll see :P keep reading to find out what happens with that, and where Clare and Eli stand. **


	3. More Secrets

(ADAM)

I looked at my best friend, and I felt my heart break a little. She looked so fragile, like glass on the verge of breaking. One touch could destroy it all. This girl, this wasn't the Clare I knew, yet it was. How can someone so close to you be so far away? Ugh, I didn't want to think about that asshole, the asshole that was supposed to be the father figure she never really had, hurting her. It made me sick to my stomach to think that if we hadn't been there, Clare would've been hurt again, and we wouldn't even know. What I don't understand is why she would lie about what was going on. Anyone in their right mind would try and get help the minute they could. What was Clare's motive behind lying? It couldn't be to protect her mom, she was never home. Well, maybe it was to protect her mom's relationship. All I could think about was how she spent God knows how long trying to push us all away, the people that were most important to her. How could she possibly think it was good to keep us in the dark? We could've had her out of there in a flash, and her and Eli's relationship would still be solid. She _needs _Eli, and Eli needs her too. I shook my head, letting out a heavy sigh. As soon as I saw that Drew stopped in front of our house, both Drew and I turned to Clare. We both asked the question that I'm sure had been on the tip of our tongues as soon as we saw Glen.

"_Glen? Glen's _the one that's been hurting you?" I felt the anger bubble up inside my chest, and crawl its way up my throat in the form of a growl. I knew something wasn't right with her, but I never imagined this would be the culprit responsible for Clare's evident agony. Clare's being abused. _Saint _Clare is being abused by practically family.

"Yes," she said so quietly, I almost didn't hear her. "Glen's the one that's been doing this to me."

I looked at her, and she seemed to shrink inside herself. Her big blue eyes were fill with unshed tears, and her lower lip trembled. Why was she sad, or was fear? Another question instantly burned itself into my mind, and I knew I had to ask.

"How long has this been going on, Clare?" I was almost afraid of her answer, and I felt my heart drop into my stomach with anticipation.

She turned her gaze to the floor of the van, and she wrung her hands together nervously.

"I-I don't know… a few weeks after my mom married him. I can't remember. Please, you can't tell her, Adam. Drew." Her eyes flashed momentarily with fierce determination, but faded quickly back to fear. "And you can't tell Eli. Please. It's better off that we aren't together. I can't let him get into this mess, it'll make him downspiral."

Drew scratched his head, and cocked his head slightly, appearing confused. I didn't really know Drew wanted to know answers as much as I did. Well… they did kinda form some kind of friendship since her and I are best friends.

"Clare." He admonished, "Eli already knows you're being hurt by _somebody_. It won't take him long to figure out who, he just needs to eliminate the obvious options, Clare. He's stubborn, not stupid." He did have a point though. When Eli wants to know something, he sure as hell finds out. I saw Clare realize this, and she tensed up immediately. Maybe she thought that Eli wouldn't want her after he found his answer. That wasn't true though, Eli would do whatever it takes to protect her. Oh. Maybe that's it. She probably thought Eli would go off the deep end if he found out who hurt her. Eli was kinda crazy like that.

She squeezed my hand firmly in hers, eyes pleading with me. "You. Can't. Tell. Eli." She choked out, never breaking her gaze.

"Fine, then. I won't tell Eli, Clare. But I can't make any promises he won't find out on his own." I stared meaningfully at her, pulling my hand out of her grasp. I decided it was time to bring Clare inside, and I unbuckled my seatbelt. Opening my door, I reached for the back handle and swung open Clare's door. She stepped out reluctantly, as if being here were just as bad as being at her house. She quickly decided it wasn't, however, and proceeded to follow Drew towards the back of the house. Of course. Drew was leading her to our basement. Mom could definitely not know Clare was here, or there would be a_ lot _of questions. Yeah, that could end badly. Mom is definitely not someone to lie to. Wait a minute. Dallas was downstairs. That couldn't be good either.

"Drew!" I called out, as I realized this. "Dallas is down there!" Clare stopped behind him, and gaped at me in shock, and Drew merely shrugged in response. "Duh, Adam. Dallas is going to help." He looked back at Clare, and held a hand up before she could protest. "Clare. It's fine. Dallas has his own secrets, too. He won't tell anyone yours unless he wants me to tell everyone his." She stood still, as if contemplating Dallas' credibility. I guess she took Drew for his word, because she followed him through the door and down to the basement. Dallas was laying down on the couch, but sat upright when he saw us approach. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he eyed Clare behind Drew.

"Oh, uh. Hey Clare. Hey guys. I was just watching some Hockey. Yeah.." He scooted over so Drew could push Clare down on the couch. I waved at Dallas in response, but Drew just got down to business.

"Listen, Mike. We got a situation on our hands." Dallas' eyes sharpened and became serious when he heard Drew address him by his first name. nobody ever did that unless it was really important. He knew how important Clare was to us, so it was obviously serious.

"Uh, okay. Shoot, Torres. What do we got?" He looked at Clare again, and seemed to be noticing how nervous she got.

Drew was about to talk, but I cut him off. He took forever to get to the point, so I'm just going to rip the bandaid off quickly. Rip, pull. Easy as pie.

"Clare is being abused at home, and its by her stepfather." I said all of this so fast, I was surprised that he understood me. Huh. Take that, Mom.

Dallas' eyes widened in shock, and he gawked at Clare. I guess it was surprising to him too. Nobody really would expect that kind of thing to happen to sweet, kind Clare.

"Seriously, Edwards? Damn, how come you didn't tell anyone before?" Clare's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, and I reached out to wrap an arm around her comfortingly.

"It doesn't matter, Dallas. We just need to make sure he doesn't touch her again, right?" He nodded up at me, but seemed to be in thought.

"Well, when are we going to teach this fucker a lesson? A man should never hit a girl. That goes against my code, and I hate bastards like that." Drew nodded in agreement, and I tapped my chin thoughtfully.

"When he least expects it," I said deviously, visions of Glen bleeding to death on the ground playing in my mind.

Suddenly, my phone starts to ring, and I see its Eli.

"Uh, I have to take this," I mumble, walking away to get some privacy. Before I can even get a hello out, Eli's worried voice fills my ears.

"Dude, did I do the wrong thing?" I mentally groaned, preparing myself to hear Eli's rant of whether he should get back together with Clare or not.

"What do you mean, Eli?" I decided to play along, because I was tired of answering for him.

"Should I have broken up with Clare? I mean she knows everything about me, but she won't even tell me this secret she's keeping from me." He breathes heavily, before continuing. "I mean, if it was any other secret, I wouldn't be as upset, but she's being _hurt._" I really want to pull out my hair, but he's my bestfriend so I suck it up, and pretend I don't know anything. I did promise Clare I wouldn't say anything, after all.

"Eli, if you felt that you needed to break up with Clare, that's your decision. But you never know, dude. There may be a reason why she doesn't want to tell us. I mean I'd be pissed, but I wouldn't break up with her. But that's just me, you know?" I leaned against the wall, longing for this conversation to end before I broke my promise to Clare.

"Yeah, I know. But I just don't like being lied to. I'm not sure if I can trust her after this. I mean, this is something pretty big to lie about." He sighed again, and I felt bad knowing something he didn't.

"Look. Eli, give it some time. When she's ready to tell you, she will. Just don't be with her right now." If I didn't hang up soon, I was going to chuck my phone against the wall. Eli groaned mournfully at my words, but murmured in agreement.

"I guess you're right. But I am going to find out who did this to her, whether she wants me to or not…" Of course he twists my words and makes it out as if I told him to find out for himself. Typical Eli. I hung up quickly when I heard a sharp scream fill my ears. I rushed back into the basement, and saw Clare doubled over, clutching her side.

I looked to Dallas and Drew for answers, but they both stared at me with bewildered expressions.

"Look man, we were all talking and Drew moved his arm to get the remote and he bumpd into her side and she started screaming." Drew shook his head furiously, and I rushed over to Clare, wrapping my arm around her in support.

"Clare, Clare! Are you alright? What's wrong?" She sobbed again, and pointed weakly to her ribs.

"My r-r-ribs really hurt." She choked out, and she collapsed into my arms.

Drew stood up fast, and paced around the room. "Should we take her to the hospital? But what about her parents? What about mom?" He ran his hands through his hair as he took in Clare's distressed appearance. I guided Clare to my room, and the guys followed me. I laid her down on my bed, and turned to face them. "Look. If it still hurts in a few hours, we'll take her. It's probably just badly bruised." I turned to Clare. "Get some rest, okay?" She nodded, and I closed the door behind us again. That's when I heard someone coming down the stairs, and the three of us rushed to sit down on the couch like nothing happened. We all craned our necks to see someone we least expected entering the basement. Owen.

I stared up at him, seriously confused. "What are you doing here?" (A/N: LOL #StuffClareSays)

Owen shifted his weight to his other foot, seemingly uncomfortable. Well, I didn't really know him. Dallas mustve texted him or something. He confirmed my suspicions. "Yeah, well Dallas invited me over here because he said I could help with something." He looked to Dallas expectantly. "What exactly do you need help with?" Dallas looked back to my door, before returning his attention to Owen.

"Look, Clare's being hurt by someone… and we need help teaching the prick a lesson. You in?" Dallas challenged him to say no with is eyes, and he eased up when Owen relented.

"Yeah, I'm in. I don't really know her, but I sure don't mind beating a guy who beats on girls." His eyes became hard and I knew he was imagining someone as innocent as Clare having something so horrible happen to her.

"Wait," I said suddenly, and the other three looked at me. "Won't Clare get mad if she knows we told Owen?"

Drew crossed his arms, and looked at me exasperatedly. "If Clare can have a secret, so can we."

I guess he was right, but I hope our plan to avenge Clare didn't backfire, and I hoped that Clare and Eli would find their way back together.

**Finally! Chapter three done! So whatcha guys think? Press the review button! Haha. Next chapter continues with Eli on his mission to find out what Clare's hiding, and the heated confrontation with Glen. Maybeeee a little Eclare too. Alright! Update soon. **

**~~Beccky**


	4. Revelations & Redemption

**Heyyy, Guys! Long time, no writing! Haha, sorry about that. Life calls, and as much as I'd like too, I can't write up chapters as frequently, but i'll try my absolute best! Biiig Shout-Out to AdamFuckingTorres, Dcutie, Ohsnapitzlexi, ForeverAndAlways37, and MyNameIsViolet! It really brings a smile to my face considering how awesome you guys are and leaving such kind reviews :P I'm working really hard on this story, so it really means a lot to get such great feedback! BTW, has anyone been watching Degrassi lately? The writers have completely annihilated it… especially by killing off Adam :C On to the Story!**

ElI POV

Am I losing my fucking mind? Have I gone completely insane? I've abandoned the love of my life. _Again. _First it was Julia, who I basically let die by turning her away, and now it's my sweet, sweet, Clare. She's being hurt, _brutally _hurt, and I walked away because she wouldn't tell me who. But, isn't that a normal reaction? Just giving up trying to help someone who's unwilling to help themselves? Christ, I sound like a therapist. I can't stand the thought of Clare suffering, yet I can't stand the secrets and the lies. I'm stuck in between going back to Clare even though she's lying, and just walking away because I don't think I'd be able to handle anymore secrets.I, Elijah Goldsworthy really need some fucking help. I don't know what to do, I don't know what to say, and I sure as hell don't know how to feel.

This is just incredibly and absolutely fucked up. This…not knowing who's hurting her is eating away at me, but I'm so angry that she just won't tell me! How could she possibly think it's a good idea to not tell anyone who's doing this to her? Does she think that it will all magically go away if she refuses to acknowledge the existence of the abuse she's living? Why is it always _me_? I'm starting to think I'm a magnet for chaotic situations. Disaster might as well have been my middle name. This situation just purely sucks. Nothing ever seems like it's the right thing to do. No matter what I do, it always backfires. Goddamnit, how can Blue-Eyes not realize how much this is killing me? I love Clare with every fiber of my soul, but this is just too much. I can't, no _won't_, watch her waste away like this.

Something needs to be done. I need to save her before it's too late. I'm going to tell CeCe and Bullfrog. I'm not really sure I feel comfortable telling Clare's parents because I _know _it's coming from that house. I slowly get off my bed, and rehearse what I'm going to say to my parents as I make my way downstairs. The steps seem like a thousand instead of thirteen, and I finally reach the bottom. Sweat has already started to form on the back of my neck, as I'm really nervous about their reaction, and whether they're going to believe me. CeCe is standing in the kitchen, probably making dinner; Bullfrog is sitting down on the couch watching the news. Such interesting parents I have, ha. I walk to the middle of the room, knowing I'm in view of both of them. CeCe must've noticed the conflicted look on my face; as she set the ladle she was using down, and cocked her head at me.

"Baby boy, what's the matter?" Her brow furrowed with concern, and I gulped slightly. I didn't want to get her all worked up but it was for a good reason. Clare. Bullfrog turned to look at us, hearing the worry in CeCe's voice. '_It's now or never_' I thought to myself, seriously debating on whether to tell them or not.

"Mom, Dad, can I talk to you for a minute? It's really important…" I trailed off, exhaling deeply. Here it goes. Bullfrog got up from the couch, and CeCe left the kitchen, nodding furiously. I pointed to the dining table and both of them sat down. I was pretty sure they were scared of what was going to come out of my mouth. The last time I asked them to talk like this, was right before I got suicidal following Julia's death. I take the seat in front of them, and stare at the table for a moment. Regaining my composure, I look them in the eye. "It's about Clare," I said shakily. CeCe and Bullfrog looked at each other, before having a similar expression of sympathy on their faces.

"Oh, son, you guys didn't get into a fight and break up, did you? I know it's tough, but…" I cut him off quickly before he could go into a long explanation about how there are plenty of other fish in the sea for a strapping young goldfish like me. Ha, Goldfish, Goldsworthy. Real funny, dad.

"No, dad. Well, we broke up, but only because she was lying to me about something really seriously." I rub my left temple, feeling a headache already starting to form. God, if it's this tough being the child, I wonder what being a parent must feel like. Ugh, Ew, Eli don't go down that path of thinking.

CeCe immediately got this weird look on her face and she gasped slightly. Her hand was clasped over her mouth and she was looking at me like I grew three heads. Oh god, whatever she was thinking could not be good. Her expression almost instantly turned into anger, and she slammed her hands down on the table. "ELIJAH GOLDSWORTHY," She roared, "_PLEASE_ TELL ME YOU DID NOT GET CLARE IMPREGNATED!" Her green eyes pierced into my own and I recoiled slightly. Not just at the stare, but at the thought of that happening, Nope. Not ready to be a father yet, thank you very much.

I stared at my mother for a few moments, letting her realize how ridiculous that sounded. Bullfrog was just staring at me, waiting for me to reveal the real issue. It's just so funny how when CeCe gets angry, Bullfrog is calm, and vice versa. I don't understand it sometimes.

"No, no, god, no. Mom, Clare's having… problems at home." I sighed again, hoping Clare wouldn't hate me for this.

"What? What kind of problems, son?" Bullfrog asked me, deep concern etching itself in his face.

"She's being…hurt. By someone in that house. You should've seen her, dad. God, she had so many bruises. I'm scared for her." I felt my eyes prickled with tears as the image of her bruised face and arms came into my mind.

Both of my parents gasped in shock this time, in disbelief that something this bad could happen to Sweet, Saint Clare. It really was unbelievable, considering how kind of a heart she had, and how horrible of a situation this was.

"Do you know who's doing it, Baby Boy? Or do you at least have an idea?" Her emerald eyes glimmered with hope, hope that she would be able to have a chance to nail the son of a bitch that did this to Clare.

I shook my head, deeply upset with the fact that I didn't know who was doing this. I wish I did, because if I did know, that person would wish they'd never met me or Clare. I would make that person wish he or she didn't have the ability to touch Clare. God, those kinds of people make me so sick.

"She can't stay there, though," I said softly. "But she can't stay here either. I'm thinking she could stay with Adam." CeCe and Bullfrog nod in agreement, and I feel relief knowing that someone else felt the way I did. That they believed me.

"Alright, sweetie.," My mother said. "So Clare gets out of that hell hole, and stays with Adam. Now let's find out who this motherfucker is."

I fucking love my parents.

OWEN POV

So we left Adam to take care of Clare, so we could go teach the waste of life that was her stepfather a lesson. It's just kind of really disturbing to know that someone who's supposed to love you could hurt you, but that's reality I guess. It's just so sickening especially when it's someone you know. Someone as nice as Clare. Bad things shouldn't happen to good people. This world is so messed up in so many ways. I'm sitting in the back of Drew's car, with Dallas riding shotgun. I don't really know Drew or Clare, but Dallas is good friends with Drew and Drew is good friends with Clare, so here I am. Any fucker who decides it's alright to beat on a girl, well, of course I'm going to make sure the asshole won't think twice of doing it again. I hate people who abuse those weaker than them. It doesn't make that person stronger or tougher, it makes them weaker too. It's just sick. I decide I need to get a few details so I know how badly this lowlife needs to feel pain.

"So, uh, what's Clare's story, anyway?" I asked somewhat awkwardly. Dallas turned to face me as Drew was focusing on driving, and not killing us all.

"Oh, man, dude. It's pretty brutal. Her stepdad has done some messed up stuff to her. Adam told us that he's gone as far into the abuse as kicking her. He does not care how much it hurts her, because he likes it I guess." He looks like he wants to say more, but doesn't. I pry it from him anyways. I need to know, I don't know why I want to, I just need to. Dallas sighs, and goes on.

"He's touched her, man… you know, like he's assaulted her. It's not just hitting, it's fucking sexual too." I feel something inside of me snap, and I feel so much remorse for a girl I don't really know, because she's gone through hell because of someone who's supposed to basically be her dad.

"What the fuck?!," I almost yell, barely containing this sudden rage inside of me. What kind of sick bastard is this? "How can Clare's mom not see what's happening? What the fuck!" Dallas nods his head in agreement, looking at the floor sadly. "She said her mom is never really home anymore, and Jake is always out, so it's just her and him."

A stream of cuss words leave my mouth in an instant. I can't believe this. How could Clare's mom pull the disappearing act when Clare needs her more than ever? And Jake? Well Jake is just a stupid stoner, but he should still realize something is not right with his dad. Oh my god, all of this is just way too messed up. I can barely handle it, so I can hardly imagine how Clare feels.

We finally approach that house of Hell, and all of us instantly get out of the car. Dallas, Drew and I march up to the front door, not even hesitating to bang angrily on it. It's like about five minutes later and this grumpy looking guy with bloodshot eyes glowers at us. I don't smell any booze, so he's clearly not drunk. Just fucking crazy looking.

"What the hell do you want?" Just his voice makes me want to throttle him. Seriously, this dude has asshole and trash written all over him.

"Are you Glen?" Drew asks, barely able to hold back his hostility.

The man gives a smug smile, before changing it back to a huge scowl. "Who's asking?" He questions, eyeing us all like we're beneath him. He's the dirt though, not us.

"We know what you've been doing to Clare, you sick fuck!" I spat, feeling the rage beginning to take control. God what could anyone possibly see in this guy? He's like the definition of douchebag.

Glen's face immediately goes from angry to scared, but he suddenly becomes smug again. Folding his arms over his chest, he looks down at us, smirking that stupid fucking smirk.

"Yeah? Well, what'd the little bitch tell you?" He almost sounds amused, as if he wasn't worried he could get in trouble for abusing his stepdaughter. As if her pain was funny to him. God, I don't want to just hurt this asshole, I want to kill him.

"Are you a fucking idiot, man? We just said we _know _what you've been doing. You've been abusing Clare, but not anymore." Dallas yelled at him, his fists clenched white with anger. Glen laughs, and this sets me off. He laughs like this was a joke, like he'd be able to get away with what he was doing. No. He would not be able to do that anymore. I'd damn well make sure of that. He makes some smug remark about how she was asking for it, and that's when I lost it. I pushed him inside the house, and the other two followed. Drew shut the door, and as soon as it closed, I swung at him with all my might. He had to outweigh me by at least eighty pounds, and he went down easily. I shook my head at him, because this was so pathetic.

"Seriously? I guess you can't hurt someone your own size—or gender, huh? You're fucking pathetic. You aren't a real man. Real men don't hit girls. Real men especially don't hurt children. You're a sad sack of shit." I throw another punch at him, and it lands on his jaw. He groans, but I don't relent. Dallas has resorted to kicking him in the side, I guess as some form of justice for Clare. Drew is twisting his arms back, preventing him from fighting back, even though he wouldn't be able to anyway. I place hands around his neck, and I look into his eyes as I squeeze.

"You," I spit, "Will never _ever_ fucking touch Clare, or go near her again, you understand me?" I squeeze harder, and he barely manages to nod, as his face turns a deep shade of red. I let go, and I stare down at the pathetic excuse of a man before me. I spit down in his face, and shake my head again, kicking him one last time. "Pathetic," I mumble again, and walk out. I hear Dallas and Drew giving him similar threats, and how if he tries to tell the cops, they'll make sure he won't be able to walk next time. I lean against the hood of the car, and Dallas and Drew walk up to me.

"You okay, man?" Dallas asks me, and I nod at him slightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Assholes like that just really piss me off, you know?" Both of the guys nod in agreement, and we hop back in the car.

Yeah, I was definitely right. It doesn't matter how nice you are, how pure your heart is. This world is a fucked up place, and the innocent fall victim to it. Nobody is safe, because evil is everywhere; there's no escape. Fuck, Evil can be anything or anyone. It could be your friend, your sister, your brother, your mom or dad, or it be someone who was supposed to be your dad. It just sucks to know that horrible things like this happen to such good people with such pure hearts. It sucks that evil could be in everyone you know. It sucks that there's more pain than there is happiness. I'm just glad we could save Clare from more pain. I'm just glad Clare could be saved.

**Alright, guys, so I'm sorry I didn't put any Eclare fluffiness in this chappy, but It didn't feel right. Well, anywaaays, I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I stayed up til twelve AM to write it :D a special 4****th**** of July's day present for you guys. Perfect timing I guess. Thanks again to those who reviewed, and don't hesitate to review again haha :D**

**Update soon!**

**~~~Beccky**


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